Private Of Hearts & Retribution

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Briana Sal-Soren //:
//: Theed Gardens //:
//: Attire //:

It was a pleasant late afternoon.

Quinn had found herself enjoying Theed more often than Eshan. As much as she disliked admitting it, Naboo held a quiet pull — something about Theed kept drawing her back. She thought of the Chancellor's introduction, the easy diplomacy, the curiosity she'd been allowed to indulge while remaining planetside.

She understood the danger of that comfort. She'd been reminded of it recently, when her own indulgences had nearly cost her. It was easy to daydream. Easy to pretend she was not half of what she was.

Others knew. Others saw.

There was no escaping that truth.

Still, it was a beautiful day, and the gardens called to her.

Naboo was famous for its architecture and gentle landscapes, but the gardens were where its beauty felt alive. Parthi had likely warned her to remain within the small embassy they were establishing. With the Chancellor hinting at stronger ties between Eshan and Naboo, Quinn's presence carried weight.

Thankfully, Parthi was steady. A necessary balance. He could smooth the edges that Quinn sometimes left rough.

She sighed softly, wondering if she deserved someone like him at her side. Their alliance was aligned in purpose — but if the tides shifted, they would be enemies. That truth lingered quietly beneath everything.

Quinn wandered deeper into the garden. Life thrived here. Blooms burst with color, reminding her of the rose garden she'd hidden away on Jutrand like a secret she refused to share.

Could she ever walk away from the Sith?
Would she ever be permitted to?

She hummed under her breath, grateful for the solitude. The millaflowers had always drawn her eye. Tiered boxes held their low-growing blooms, vivid and deliberate. She liked that something so striking could grow so close to the soil.

A rarity. Something you had to look for.

Perhaps that was why she felt kinship with them.

The breeze carried their scent, gentle and calming — a sensation she rarely allowed herself. Even Eshan felt tense these days. Danger was never far.

Her hand hovered over a smaller bud. It had not bloomed yet, dwarfed by the others.

Pity.

Through the Force, she coaxed it open. The petals unfurled slowly, revealing colors brighter than the rest in the box — defiant in their beauty.

Quinn studied it for a long moment.

"I wonder what flower she would like…"

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

She'd been pretending to meander through the gardens for several minutes after she'd finally spotted her, observing her target from a flowering archway, threaded with vibrant red Queen's Hearts, with mild curiosity.

There was something that was both faintly insulting and utterly confounding about the sight of a Sith Princess standing so comfortably among the manicured gardens of her home world, as though Theed were hers to wander. It pressed heavily against her sense of Order, what she'd been taught, and what experience had reinforced of their ilk. Most Sith she encountered were brazen and murderous things, but rarely were they foolish enough to stroll through areas where Jedi openly existed without the intent to cause mayhem or pursue some calculated design. Rarely did they do anything without purpose or grandiosity.

It was part of why Briana stopped to observe the woman before approaching.

Bri had come on her own volition to arrest Quinn the moment word reached her regarding the Sith Princess’s presence on Naboo, and the outstanding warrant that trailed her. Why something hadn't been done already, she could only presume, given how long Quinn had apparently been moving through Theed’s social circles, attending galas, and making regular public appearances in close proximity to her sister. A question that would perhaps be answered today, force willing.

But for now, she simply needed to fulfill her responsibility - her duty, as both Jedi, and the older sister who'd grown too accustomed to stepping into the role and obligations meant to be carried by their parents.

A younger, more brash Briana would have undoubtedly rushed the woman, lightsaber already drawn and ready to strike without a moment’s hesitation. Instead, she moved forward with mindfulness, hand close to the unlit lightsaber that swung at her hip with each step of her steady cadence.

Briana doubted the woman would come willingly, but she wasn't about to be the one to turn this place into a battlefield unless given no other choice.

"Rominaria, like our mother, your majesty. Assuming you're speaking of my sister." She was not entirely certain which of the Echani's titles protocol demanded in this instance, and so defaulted to the safest among them. As a Princess of House Ee'everwest, proper decorum was ingrained into her DNA, even in this instance. "I'm Jedi Knight Briana Sal-Soren," she continued on, letting her hand fall to the hilt of her blade now, resting there. "I've come to execute the lawful warrant for your arrest."

OUTFIT: XoXo | TAG: Quinn Varanin EQUIPMENT: Lightsaber

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[Quinn Varanin]

//: Briana Sal-Soren //:
//: Attire //:

Quinn could feel the presence that lingered just on the edge of her senses. Being watched wasn't new, particularly in Theed. Her reputation often preceded her; it drew attention, but Quinn did her best to ignore it. It made life better… easier to stomach at times.

Before speaking, she inhaled the small flower again; its calming aroma kept her steady as the Knight introduced herself.

She mused, almost finding the situation ironic. Another Sal-Soren, Quinn wondered how many there were. Of course, Quinn would have liked to have met on different terms; an arrest warrant wasn't always the best introduction.

Stepping away from the flower, she didn't react, didn't flinch when she saw the woman's hand hovering over the lightsaber from the corner of her eye. This was more serious than she had expected.

"A beautiful flower," she murmured and sighed gently, "A part of me had hoped it would have been an Eshan Silver Moonflower." Quinn shrugged slightly as she breathed a laugh.

Finally giving Briana her full attention, Quinn took in the sight of the Jedi Knight. She was everything one could dream of as a Jedi Knight. The Echani could read the tension in every muscle that moved. There was more behind the warrant, but she wondered to what extent. The Sal-Sorens, the ones that she had met now, were strong, as one with the Force as one could be without being born of it.

It washed over them, welcoming them so easily.

"Mm, so direct and to the point. But there's no need for that," her eyes flickered to the weapon at the woman's side.

"As you can see in the Force, I'm not a threat." She waved her hand. While on the surface, that's what it would seem. Quinn quieted herself in the Force, a presence that wavered and bled weakness. While others screamed, she whispered. It was the only way she could ease the burden on the Core, silencing it and preventing it from harming others.

Quinn stepped back, but showed no sign of attempting to escape. She even turned her back towards the Jedi as she began to wander the gardens again. Remaining close enough to speak, Quinn leaned over another brush of flowers, taking in their aroma.

"She's lucky," Quinn smiled softly, "Your sister, to have such a protective sibling."

Leaning up, she clasped her hands behind her back.

"How about we talk, I answer your questions, and you allow me a bit more freedom?"

Another smile, as she waited for the Jedi to decide. Quinn knew of her position as a Warden of Mandalore, as the Queen of Eshan. There were accords, but did the Jedi themselves fall in line with them? Or was their justice above it?

"I don't get to talk to a Jedi often," she said, again looking towards the flowers.

"Your sister and I don't discuss religion..." Quinn paused, a playful mischief lingered at the corners of her smile. "There are far more interesting topics."

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Briana didn’t quite know what to make of Quinn. No, she did not feel anything on the surface of what was permitted, but did that truly change anything? Was she not just a demon in tailored clothing? Another prescribed to an ideology that sought to manipulate and destroy?

Her thoughts drifted unbidden to her father, to the moments of his kindness and the love he’d shown her as a child, to all the years he’d given her a listening ear, his advice and patience…how someone she thought she’d known best of all, was nothing but a falsehood, in the end. A carefully constructed illusion. A mirage that once faded, revealed the bodies and atrocities left in its wake.

“I’m not so arrogant as to pretend I know who you are, or what your intentions may be,” she said. “I can only judge this moment by what I know, and by what experience has taught me to expect.”

As Quinn moved, Briana advanced a few measured strides of her own, keeping the woman firmly within her line of sight at all times.

“And what I know is that you are some manner of Sith, standing on Naboo, with a warrant issued for your arrest.”

She did not care for the easy way Quinn spoke of Bastila, nor for the quiet implication that there was some degree of familiarity there worth acknowledging, the muscle in her jaw flexing faintly in response - the only outward sign of how poorly that idea sat with her. Too much regarding her sister had reached her by rumor as of late, the incidents with Vizion's brother, the outbursts, whatever this... entanglement with Quinn was or wasn't supposed to be. It needled at her.

Whether or not Quinn meant to evoke that feeling, or was simply trying to manufacture a sense of rapport between them, Briana was set on not letting the conversation drift any further in that direction, at least no more than necessary.

"If you truly mean no harm, then come into custody with me willingly, and we'll talk as much as you want. I’ll hear whatever it is you have to say, and I'll make sure that whatever happens next, you're treated fairly."

| TAG: Quinn Varanin EQUIPMENT: Lightsaber

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[Quinn Varanin]

//: Briana Sal-Soren //:

Not arrogant?

"Seems you're better than your peers." Quinn looked over her shoulder and smiled before continuing along the cobbled path of the gardens. "Though, isn't that expected of a Sal-Soren?" There was a hint of understanding in her words. Both came from lines of influential parents and grandparents. There was a legacy and weight upon their shoulders to be better, to be something more than those around them.

It was a weight a child should never have to carry, but it was their duty.

Quinn kept her back to Briana; she knew the Jedi would follow. They were predictable like that, a target was in her sights, and she wasn't going to let it get away. Though Quinn chose to cooperate, she wasn't prepared to be escorted out of here like a criminal.

"I do have a warrant, yes, but that's from the Republic. Am I to believe that the Jedi are the enforcers for the Republic?" A basic question that Quinn was curious about. Why were they calling for the arrest now?

She stopped in front of a wall of vines, and small white flowers bloomed; the familiar scent of jasmine carried on around her. She missed the underlying rain, often accompanied by the floral.

"I think I have been pretty cooperative, but the day is too beautiful to be locked inside, could we stay out a little longer?" She looked out over the vast gardens and sighed softly. There was so much more to explore, but she figured her time was going to be cut short unless she could convince Briana to let them linger a bit longer.

"You call me something of a Sith, but I'm here as the Eshan Queen and a Warden of Mandalore, don't those two titles protect me under your government's accords with mine?" She paused and turned to look at Briana. She wondered how the woman would respond.

Quinn tilted her head slightly as she tried to read the little bits of body language that could betray the Jedi in this moment. By suppressing her presence, she often didn't allow herself to feel through empathy—a strength she often cut herself off from. But as an Echani, she had a small advantage.

"Or do the Jedi ideals surpass the Senate and the King's rules?" She smiled softly, "I am still learning about how things are run here in the Republic, so I apologize for the simplicity of my questions."

Her attention would move away from Briana for the moment, as her eyes caught the flowers that the woman had mentioned were Bastila's favorite. Quinn's step quickened to reach the area designated for them.

"These are beautiful…" She smiled, admiring the flowers as she could understand why they were favored.

"I'd rather talk about your sister, she's more interesting than warrants and the politics of Sith and Jedi."

Quinn let her focus linger on the flowers as she wanted to pretend that just for today, she didn't have to be who she was or come from where she came. She wondered if that was the prevailing view among people who came from behind the Blackwall.

Were they all considered Sith?

Were they all condemned to be evil?

Her nose wrinkled at the thought; to be forced into a box that one didn't choose was frustrating.

"Was she always as stubborn as she is?" Quinn huffed, remembering their interactions, "Does her smile come from her mother or father?" She paused for just a moment.

"Will she hear about me being arrested?" Quinn's smile faded, thinking about how this news could potentially create a bigger divide between them.

The thought made her chest ache, but she knew there was no getting around the warrant in this instance. Her eyes flickered back towards her Jedi companion for the moment.

"If you just indulge me a little, you can be the hero you set out to be today."

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Briana’s tilted her braided head a fraction, her brow tightening as she considered Quinn’s peculiar questions.

She'd stood with Kalantha while plans for the Republic were drafted and redrafted, watched the shape of that future take form over the months as more and more came to join. In every draft, the Jedi had been part of the Republic’s foundation, and they'd paid dearly for that place. Before the Republic even managed to give its standing army proper form, they'd been the first ones to bleed for it. Stood as its defenders.

If that role had shifted during her time away, no one had seen fit to inform her. Then again, she wasn't privy to everything discussed within the Council Chambers anymore, and the months that'd passed in her absence was more than enough time for memory to grow selective, especially in the Senate, and especially when what was being forgotten involved service and sacrifice.

“We may stand apart in some respects,” she said, “but we do not stand outside it. The defense of peace, and of this Republic, has always been part of our charge.”

She settled back against a nearby tree, her hand leaving the hilt of her blade as she folded her arms across her chest, watching Quinn continue her slow wandering among the flowers. For the moment, Briana let it continue, caught somewhere between the instinct to end this now and a morbid curiosity about whatever game the other woman was playing.

"Doing what's right supersedes all laws, regardless of who makes them. Titles don't put anyone above consequence." In that, she could answer confidently. "If that breaks the Kings law, well..." her mouth curved faintly, humorless, "who knows. Maybe we'll be cell mates." She wasn't going to wait for someone to give her permission to do what she knew was right, she'd settled that when Astor Daaray bled out in her arms. Whatever part of her had believed doing the right thing would always be sanctioned by the people in power, bled out of her heart the moment his final breaths escaped him.

More questions arose about Bastila and Briana bit her tongue once, then bit down harder. "What about your family, Quinn?" she asked instead, trying to shift the conversation. "Will your parents… or your siblings… come looking for you?" That earlier remark of Quinn's, about expectation and what it demanded of a person, had carried something that almost sounded sincere, as though she understood, at least in part, the particular loneliness of being made to carry too much. Briana leaned into it. "Or are you always on your own? Alone?"

TAG: Quinn Varanin | EQUIPMENT: Lightsaber

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[Quinn Varanin]

//: Briana Sal-Soren //:

The order in which the law was handled was explained in the simplest of forms. Quinn had an understanding now, and she mused over the idea that she was right. The Jedi had weight here, arm in arm with the Republic. She smiled, though, almost with a small laugh at Briana's comment about being cellmates. There was hope that maybe this one wouldn't hate her as badly as the others.

"Doing what's right?" Quinn repeated. The concept wasn't something Quinn was surprised by, but knowing that arresting her was considered so, was. She let the thought sink in before she decided to continue. It was obvious that everything the Echani was saying was being considered and weighed. Quinn wasn't sure this was a good thing, but she went along with it.

"So arresting me is doing what's right?" She asked, "But what laws have I broken? " Quinn thought quietly, wondering when she had done anything wrong. Even on Weilu, she was responding to a strange man hovering over her, stabbing her unprovoked.

Yet no one knew that part of the story, did they?

"Is my mere existence a threat to your peace?" Quinn let her eyes trail away from the Jedi as she focused on the flowers again. Oddly, they gave the Echani something to focus on, letting her mind stay grounded during the conversation. Understanding that some would rather pass judgment than try to empathize was a hard pill to swallow.

Briana continued, Quinn seeing that she was avoiding the questions about Bastila. Even if she didn't answer the previous question, Quinn could figure the woman felt she was a threat to her sister's safety. That thought alone made Quinn's stomach twist.

Instead of indulging the Queen of Eshan, the Jedi turned the conversation to Quinn's family. A painful topic, but one that Quinn should have expected. She did her best to hide most of her emotions about her family. There were some that she cherished more than others, but again, she was a little jealous of Briana and Bastila when it came to this.

"Hm, depends," she responded as she focused on the flowers. "My birth parents? No. Spencer and Ashin have better things to do, other children they would decidedly care more for." She smiled, despite the lingering pain.

"My siblings wouldn't find themselves in a situation like this. Ibaris, she was too intelligent for that, too strategic. Noelle ruled a planet, then decided it was too much, and disappeared. Though we were never close."

Looking back at Briana, she shrugged. "I'm the youngest, the third, and forgotten. Ibaris is Ashin's pride and joy, while Noelle took after Spencer… though if we were to speak of the Empress of the Sith Order…" Quinn looked away and thought carefully about her next words. This woman was a Jedi — none of them knew the truth behind the Blackwall. She could stop where she was at, the question answered, but…

"She cares about me, actually loves me, beyond that — to answer your question… Yes, I've always been alone. Despite the one person who loves me, there are things that not even she can save me from."

She paused and turned away, focusing more now on something in the distance. This conversation was reminding her of the one with the Voice of the Houses. Quinn hated talking about her family life and being reminded of the emptiness of who she was.

"Does that make you feel safer? Better and more righteous with your choice of doing the right thing?"